Valentine's Day
by Piper Elizabeth
Summary: Told from each of their points of views, Josh tries to plan the perfect Valentine’s Day for Andy, but something is standing in his way.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Valentine's Day

**Rating:** T for normal teenage behavior and some language.

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Summary:** Told from each of their points of views, Josh tries to plan the perfect Valentine's Day for Andy, but something is standing in his way.

**Spoilers:** Nothing specific.

**Chapter 1**

Part 1 - Josh

"Josh! Josh!"

I forced my right eye open. The bright red numbers of my alarm clock blinded me. I threw my blankets over my head until I heard Lori shout my name for a third time. I knew that if I didn't give up, she was going to have my head. I stumbled out of bed, swearing loudly as my foot got caught in my sheet. Before I could even comprehend what was happening, my face was planted on the floor. As I picked myself up off the floor, the door swung open. Lori was standing in my doorway and even though my eyes were still blurry, I could tell that she was mad.

"Josh, I swear, if you don't…" she yelled.

"I'm up!" I yelled back, pushing past her to get into the bathroom.

I did not want to be late again. Another lateness meant detention. With only ten minutes to get in the car and make it to school before the bell rang, I managed to brush my teeth, find a clean T-Shirt and only slightly worn Jeans, and even throw some gel in my hair to get the 'I don't want you to think I care about my hair, but I really do' look. Kyle and Lori were already in my mom's car in the driveway when I shoved a piece of toast into my mouth and ran out the door. I climbed into the backseat.

"Next time I'm leaving without you," Lori warned, starting the car. If she was going to throw anger and sarcasm in my face, I was going to throw it right back.

"I'll remember that when Kyle fixes my car and I'm back to driving your sorry butt to school or rather, not driving if the attitude continues."

Lori threw the car in drive and sped away. I leaned between the two front seats.

"And speaking of fixing my car," I said to Kyle.

"I promise I'll work on it after school," Kyle replied.

That was good enough for me. I sat back and waited until we arrived at school. Lori parked in one of the only spots left available and we all piled out of the car. Lori immediately headed off on her own and Kyle followed. I knew we were running super late by the fact that there was no one mingling outside the building that some would call a school, but I liked to call hell. Sighing, I briskly walked towards the front doors.

As I entered the building, I was able to breathe easy when I saw that the bell hadn't yet run. I made my way past the students who were still mingling in the hallway while I scanned the crowd. I was looking for Andy, who I knew was probably waiting in our usual meeting spot, the boy's bathroom where we had first met. As I glanced at the time on my cell phone, I knew that I wouldn't make it there and to my locker before the bell rang. And if I didn't grab my history homework out of my locker, I was going to be in trouble. I was hoping to catch her before she got to her class, but actually finding her was easier said than done. Normally I'd be on the lookout for the blonde hair but it had been almost two weeks since I had seen those blonde locks I loved so much. Of course, I actually saw her every day, but her hair had been replaced with wigs of various styles and colors and I never knew what she would be wearing. The one thing I knew I could count on was the skirts she always wore. Nothing was going to stop her from wearing what she loved.

I still hadn't seen her when I reached my locker. As I switched the biology book that was in my backpack for the history book in my messy locker, I saw Ben, my friend and next door locker neighbor, heading towards me.

"Hey," he said, working on his combination lock.

"Hey," I replied, closing my locker.

"You know, I was this close to Kelly's bra last night…"

"Dude, no need for details," I scoffed. Sure, Kelly was pretty hot, but I still didn't need to hear about what she and Ben were doing last night.

"Yeah well, in the middle of us making out, she brings up Valentine's Day."

"Ooh…rough. You must be doing something wrong, man for her to want to talk while you're making out."

"Funny," he said, slamming his locker shut. We both began to walk down the hallway together towards history. I still was on the lookout for Andy, but I had a feeling that I wouldn't fine her. Her English class was on the other side of the school.

"Anyway," he continued, "she stops me because she wants to know what we're doing for Valentine's Day."

"What did you tell her?"

"It was a surprise."

"Good thinking."

"Yeah, except now she's expecting this big evening. Not to mention that she basically told me that she wants a nice, big present."

"What exactly did she say?"

"Something like…" he changed his voice to sound like hers. "A surprise? I can't wait! My present this year better be bigger and better than last year. After all, it is our second Valentine's Day together." I was impressed just how much he actually sounded like her.

"What did you get her last year?"

"Carnations and a stuffed bear."

"Dude, everyone knows that on Valentine's Day you at least spring for roses."

I saw pink hair out of the corner of my eye. Thinking it was Andy, I stopped walking, but soon realized that the girl I saw was at least a foot taller than Andy.

"If you're so smart, what are you and Andy doing?"

We kept walking.

I shrugged. "Valentine's Day's still like a week away."

"Try five days, man."

"Five days…a week…doesn't matter. There's still plenty of time. I do my best thinking under pressure."

"Yeah, that means you got nothin'," Ben said as he walked into the classroom.

I hesitated before following him. He was right, I had nothing. I hadn't even started thinking about Valentine's Day. I had been so all-consumed with making sure I was with Andy at every moment of her chemo and treatments that Valentine's Day had never even entered into my mind. As I walked into the classroom I wondered what exactly I was going to do.

Part 2 – Andy

I felt my head growing heavier, my eyes starting to close. I quickly picked my head up off my hand and tried to concentrate on my teacher. We were supposed to be translating what she said in English into French, but I could barely understand what she was saying in English, no matter what it translated to in French. What did I need French for anyway? I had more important things going on than learning how to say, "where's the bathroom?" Of course, that could come in handy if I were to ever receive chemo in France and needed a place to throw up.

I pondered the thought of what it must be like to go to France when I yawned, not because I had chemo the day before and it made me tired or anything like that, but because Josh and I had stayed up until almost three AM playing G-Force. I was proud to say that I kicked his butt three times in a row.

In the middle of my teacher saying, 'the airport is two blocks away,' the bell rang. I practically jumped out of my seat and ran out of the room. I scanned the overcrowded hallways for Josh as I made my way to my locker. We were going on period three and we hadn't yet seen each other. Usually we met outside the boy's bathroom each morning before school actually started, but I assumed Josh had gotten a late start, as usual, and didn't have time. It wouldn't be the first time that happened.

I stopped at my locker, ditching my French book and notebook. I didn't want to even think about French for the rest of the day.

"Love the look."

I shut my locker and saw Kelly standing beside me. Although I never really considered myself to have female friends since I always seemed to relate better with the male species, Kelly was I guess what you could consider a friend. On the outside she looked like any other girl in the school who cared more about her looks than anything else, but, after spending the entire year with our lockers side by side, I learned that she was more than that. She turned out to be very easy to talk to and she had an awesome home theater system at her house.

'The look' she was referring to was my chocolate brown hair that came to my mid-back. It was one of my favorite wigs. Kelly was one of the few people who felt comfortable joking about my ever changing hair. Everyone else liked to pretend that my wigs didn't exist.

"Thanks," I said. "Hey, have you seen Josh at all?"

"I saw him running in this morning. Looked like he was running a little late."

"Yeah, typical Josh."

We both began to walk, heading for the gym.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Kelly asked.

"Sure," I responded.

"What are you and Josh doing for Valentine's Day?"

Valentine's Day? Was it really that time of the year again when red and pink hearts seemed to take over the world? In the past I loathed Valentine's Day. Not because I had spent every Valentine's Day alone, but because I the entire holiday is just a ploy to get people to spend money on cards and candy. And yet, as soon as she said 'Josh' and 'Valentine's Day' in the same sentence, it started to take on a new meaning.

"I don't know. We haven't really discussed it."

"I bet he's surprising you with something."

"Josh? Surprise? I don't think so."

"Well, he's got to do something. I mean, it's your first Valentine's Day together. Even Ben remembered to do something last year. It was terrible, but he remembered. I could give him some pointers if you want."

"That's alright," I said. "It's only Valentine's Day. It's just a stupid holiday."

Even as I said it, I didn't believe it.

We walked into the gym where my dread continued. Two soccer nets were set up on either end of the gym. I hated soccer. Actually, I didn't mind soccer, but I hated picking teams for soccer. Ever since I had revealed that I had cancer, half of my phys ed class picked me first because they felt badly for me, but then would never pass me the ball because they thought I was going to break while the other half didn't want me on their team because I was the 'sick' girl. I hated being the last person standing on the blue line like I had some contagious, deadly disease. Why couldn't we just be playing ping pong?

"You okay?" Kelly asked me as we walked across the gym towards the girl's locker room.

"Yeah, I'm just gonna…run to the bathroom."

"Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine," I lied. I wasn't fine. The damn chemo made me more emotional than a pregnant woman and I hated it. Things like Valentine's Day and getting picked last at soccer would never have bothered me if I wasn't pumped full of drugs.

"I'll tell Mrs. Clark that you're going to be late," Kelly offered.

"Thanks," I said before turning back. No other student would be able to get away with having a friend tell a teacher that they were going to be late because they had to go to the bathroom. But I wasn't just another student - I was Andy and I had cancer and I couldn't stand to be picked last again.

I walked through the deserted hallways and towards the bathroom. As I turned the corner, I felt a person's body slam up against mine.

"Sorry," I mumbled until I noticed who I had bumped into. "Josh!"

"Hey," he replied. I threw my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. "Soccer, huh?" I nodded. "Well, you just tell me who doesn't pick you and I'll kick their ass."

"Josh, you couldn't kick anyone's ass if you tried," I said, letting go of him. "Where were you this morning? I waited for you."

"Lori almost made us late. That girl can spend more time in front of the bathroom mirror than anyone else I know."

"So it was all Lori's fault, huh?" I asked, knowing that it wasn't.

"Love the hair," he complimented. I could tell that he was trying to change the subject.

"Thanks," I replied. "So, what are you doing out here instead of being in class? Because I'm pretty sure that one more mistake and there's going to be a spot in detention that's got your name on it."

"Chill. I'm running a note to the office for Mrs. West," he said, showing me a folded up piece of paper that he had in his hand. "And where are you going?"

"Bathroom."

"Girls or boys?" He asked with a smirk on his face. I could practically see the wheels turning in his head as he began to scheme.

"Girls. Now go deliver your note."

I gave him a peck on the cheek and began to walk away towards the bathroom. He reached for my arm and pulled me back. Before I could even protest, his lips were on mine. The kiss was quick, but it was definitely the pick me up that I needed.

"See you after school," he said, smiling.

I shook my head. "Sorry, I've got plans."

"Plans?"

"You know my moms like planning these girls only days. They think it's important to spend time with me or something. Well, this afternoon is one of those days."

"And what exactly do you do on a girl's day?"

"Today would be spa day," I answered very seriously.

He laughed. "You? At a spa?"

"It was my mom's idea. Besides, it's worth it to see Alex."

"So you've been to this place before? Wait…who's Alex?"

I smiled to myself. Jealousy was a very powerful tool. Not to mention that it made him make this very cute face.

"A personal massager. He's got great hands and he does this amazing back massage…"

"Yeah, well, you tell this Alex that if he puts his hands anywhere other than your back, I'll kick his ass."

"That is the second time you've threatened to kick someone's ass and I still don't think you can actually do it," I teased. He kissed me again. "But you are very good at that."

"Well, I had a very good teacher."

"We should go before we get in trouble."

"Have fun with your moms," he said. "But not too much fun. Don't forget to tell Alex what I said."

I laughed. "I won't. I promise."

"I'll call you later," he said.

I nodded and began to walk away down the hallway when I heard him call my name.

"We're going to get in trouble, you know," I said, turning.

"Just one more quick question."

"What's that?"

"How do you feel about Valentine's Day?"

Author's Note: I hadn't really planned on writing another Jandy story until I completed the Harry Potter story that I'm currently in the middle of, but the idea for this story came to me when I was sitting in class the other day learning about reference services (which is very boring, by the way). I decided I wanted to do something a little different than what I normally do, however, and that included doing the different points of view. I hope you like the first chapter. I hope to have the rest posted by Valentine's Day (if real life doesn't get in the way). Thanks for reading and please review!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Part 1 – Josh

What the hell did, 'it's just another day' mean? That's what Andy said to me when I asked her how she felt about Valentine's Day. Did it mean that she didn't want to do anything special? Was she expecting presents? Or was it one of those tests where the girl says that she doesn't want anything and the boy is supposed to somehow know that what she really means is that she wants to be surprised? Sometimes I hate the way women's minds work.

I opened the front door to my house and walked inside. Throwing my backpack haphazardly on the floor, I immediately headed for the kitchen. I knew that I had a lot of thinking to do and that required some serious brain food. I pulled open the refrigerator door and pulled out a box of pizza.

"Jackpot," I said out loud.

I took the box out of the refrigerator and flipped the top open. There were two pieces left. As I picked one up, though, I noticed that it wasn't just pepperoni that it was topped with. An unidentifiable, white fuzz had begun to sprout.

"Gross!"

I threw the piece back in the box and then put the box back in the refrigerator.

"You're disgusting," Lori said as she entered the kitchen.

"You didn't actually expect me to eat that, did you?" I asked, rummaging through the cupboards. I knew there had to be a box of cookies or chips in there somewhere.

"No, but you could have thrown it away instead of putting it back in the fridge."

Lori opened the refrigerator door, took out the pizza box, and threw it in the garbage. Rolling her eyes at me, she grabbed a bottle of water and an apple. As she began to rinse the apple in the sink, I knew that she was my only hope. I had to find out what Andy meant and Lori was the only person I knew who spoke girl-speak. Not to mention that if Andy really did mean that she wanted a nice big surprise, I was going to have to plan the perfect Valentine's Day and, since I had never celebrated Valentine's Day with another person, I was unfortunately going to have to rely on Lori for advice.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked as she began to walk out of the kitchen.

"That depends," she said, turning to look at me. "What's in it for me?"

"You want something in return for me asking you a question?"

"Knowing you…yeah." She took a bite of the apple.

"Forget it."

I grabbed a bag of Doritos and headed for the living room. So maybe I wasn't going to be getting Lori's advice. I flopped down on the couch and turned on the TV. A commercial for a local restaurant came on advertising their special Valentine's Day meal. I hated to admit it, but I was clueless. Who knew that there even was such a thing as a Valentine's meal? I thought Valentine's Day was complete with chocolate and flowers.

"Okay," she said, following me into the other room. She sat down next to me. "What is it?"

I sighed. Did I really need her help? A commercial for chocolate hearts came on next. How was a man supposed to create the perfect Valentine's Day when there were so many different options? Yes, I decided, I did need her help.

"I need your advice," I said, turning off the TV.

"About?"

"Valentine's Day."

She smiled. I knew she took great pleasure in being a know-it-all and normally, I wouldn't have given her the satisfaction of asking for her advice, but I was desperate. I couldn't let Andy down. Considering the circumstances, she deserved the perfect Valentine's Day.

"What about Valentine's Day?"

"I asked Andy what she thought about Valentine's Day and…"

"Wait, you just came out and asked her?"

"Yeah. What's wrong with that?"

"Josh, you don't just ask a girl what she thinks about Valentine's Day."

"Why not?"

Lori rolled her eyes as if I was a lost cause. "What did she say?"

"She said that it's just another day."

"She's lying."

"How do you know?"

"Because, trust me, every girl, whether she admits it or not, secretly wants the perfect Valentine's Day." The front door opened and Kyle walked in. "Right Kyle?"

"Right what?" He asked, perching himself on the edge of the armchair across from the couch.

"Every girl wants a perfect Valentine's Day," Lori clarified.

"Well, I guess it would depend on the girl," Kyle replied in his usual, innocent Kyle way.

"Don't listen to him," Lori stated, turning back to Josh.

"You better come up with something good. The first Valentine's Day together can make or break a relationship."

"And what exactly do two people do on Valentine's Day," I asked.

"Well, there's always the typical dinner and a movie, but that's pretty lame if you ask me. But what's more important than what you do is what you buy her."

"What am I supposed to buy her?"

"There are the typical Valentine's Day staples like chocolate…"

"Which make Andy throw up."

"Okay, well how about flowers?"

"The smell makes her nauseous."

"How about fake flowers?" Kyle offered.

"Trust me, no girl wants fake flowers," Lori insisted.

"What if I just bought her a video game? She loves those."

"Yeah, nothing says romance like a video game," Lori said sarcastically. "Give me some time and we'll come up with something."

"Why are you helping me?" I asked suspiciously. It wasn't like Lori to offer up so much of her time to do something nice for me.

"Because even though I could care less about how you spend your Valentine's Day, I do care about how Andy spends hers. She deserves something…nice." Lori stood up. "Give me a day or two and I'll give both of you the perfect Valentine's Day."

Part 2 – Andy

Why did I say that it was just another day when I had recently decided that Valentine's Day was important? Sure, if he had asked me before I talked to Kelly and before my emotions starting going haywire at the sight of soccer nets in the gym, I would have been able to say that it was just another day with no problem. But, after all that emotional crap, Valentine's Day suddenly meant something to me. So why did I tell him that it didn't? I kept thinking that maybe he'd be smart enough to read between the lines and figure out that what I really meant to say was that I would like to have a romantic Valentine's Day. After all, our last date consisted of me throwing up into a bucket. But then again, this is Josh we're talking about. He sucks at interpreting what women want. I can't blame him, though. This was all my fault.

"Andy. Andy Jensen."

The desk clerk called my name. I looked up at her and smiled a very fake smile.

"That's me," I said as I pulled my white, linen robe tighter around me and walked past the desk into one of the massage rooms. Both my moms had already been taken in. One was getting a facial and the other a manicure and pedicure. As always, I opted for the back massage. I didn't need perfectly manicured fingers or toes, nor did I care if my face was moisturized. But, I did care about having my tense muscles basically kneaded away with the touch of Alex's fingers. He really was a talented massager.

I grabbed one of the light pink towels that was neatly laid out for me on the massage table. Ditching my robe, I wrapped the towel securely around my waist. I took the other towel and wrapped it around my torso. I climbed onto the table and laid face down, letting the towel around my torso fall on either side, leaving my back exposed. I rested my head against my arms and waited.

"Andy, nice to see you again," Alex said as he walked into the room. As usual, he was dressed in a pair of recently ironed khakis and a white, polo shirt. He walked over to the sink that was in the corner of the room and thoroughly washed his hands.

"Hey Alex," I replied.

He turned off the water and dried his hands. He approached the table and began to rub his hands against my shoulders. It felt amazing.

"Is this good pressure?" He asked.

"Perfect," I answered, closing my eyes. I felt his hands digging into my muscles and it felt wonderful. There was nothing like a good back massage to make my worries go away.

"So, how have you been?" Alex questioned.

"Better now," I answered truthfully. "Oh and my boyfriend Josh has a message for you."

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"He said he'll kick your ass if your hands move anywhere but my back."

Alex laughed out loud. "Well, you tell Josh that you're not exactly my type and that my boyfriend could so totally kick his ass into next week." I smiled. Not only did Alex give great back massages, but he was a pretty cool guy to talk with, too. "Guess you didn't mention that I was gay, huh?"

"Must have slipped my mind."

"Then how about that I'm basically old enough to be your father?"

"Nope, forgot that, too."

"So, let me guess, your boyfriend…what's his name?"

"Josh."

"Josh basically thinks that you're currently getting a massage from a hot, straight guy who just wants to feel you up, huh?"

"Well, if that's what he thinks, it's his misconception, not mine." I couldn't help but smirk. I had deliberately wanted Josh to think that. Jealousy really was cute.

"You are evil, Ms. Jensen."

"And you are a miracle worker," I commented as the muscles in my back began to loosen.

We spent the next few minutes in silence as Alex worked his magic.

"So, what are you doing for Valentine's Day."

"Oh," I said, wishing he hadn't brought it up at all. He was ruining my perfect massage. "Um, I don't know."

"You mean you don't know as in Josh's planning a big surprise or you don't know as in he hasn't planned anything yet?"

"Well, while I wish it were the first one, I'm going to have to go with the second."

"Boy, men can be clueless sometimes, can't they?"

"All men except you, of course. What I would give for a perfect gay boyfriend like you," I said teasingly.

"If only you could be so lucky. You tell that boyfriend of yours that Alex says he better give you a nice, big surprise."

"I'll be sure to tell him that."

"Well, if all else fails, Reno's always run Tuesday's specials that are supposedly to die for and you don't even have to have reservations so…"

"Wait…what?" My heart began racing and my mind suddenly went blank. I couldn't even feel his hands on my anymore even though I knew he was still massaging my back.

"Reno's. You know, the restaurant on Smith street."

"Yeah, I know what it is. What day did you say they ran specials?"

"On Tuesday's."

"Tuesdays?"

"Yeah?" He stopped massaging. "Andy, you okay?"

"Tuesday is Valentine's Day?"

"Yeah, so?"

He didn't know it, but Tuesday's was chemo. Every Tuesday was a day from hell. I guess it didn't matter how I felt about Valentine's Day anymore. There was nothing romantic about sitting in a hospital bed being injected with drugs and afterwards puking my guts out. At that moment, I was grateful that I had told Josh that I didn't care about Valentine's Day. At least I knew that he wasn't planning some great big surprise that my cancer was going to ruin.

Author's Note: I wrote this chapter really quickly at work today, but I hope you like it! Thanks for the great reviews! Stay tuned for more soon!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Part 1 – Andy

I cut the rest of my back massage short because of the stomach ache that had settled low in my stomach the moment I realized that Valentine's Day was on the same day as chemo. I waited in the spa's lavish, serene waiting room for my moms. They both emerged from their rooms twenty minutes later, one gushing about how smooth her face felt and the other showing off her matching fingers and toes. It usually made me happy to see them so happy, but their smiles had no effect on me. I was miserable.

"How was your massage?" One of my moms asked.

"Fine," I answered, staring at my hands. I didn't want to look at either of them. As I began to chew on my fingernails, I thought that maybe I should have gone for the manicure after all. At least, from what my mom has told me, I knew the manicurist doesn't even talk to her clients. I bet she wouldn't have ruined Valentine's Day for me.

"Andy…" one of my moms was obviously trying to get my attention and I wasn't listening. I was still busy brooding over the news I had just discovered.

"What?" I asked.

"Are you ready to get for dinner?"

I had forgotten about dinner. It was part of our girl's day – going to a restaurant we had never been to before. Soon we were going to run out of restaurants.

"Actually," I said. "I'm not feeling that well."

I could see the look of concern immediately appear on both of their faces. Not feeling well automatically meant that the cancer was giving me a headache or the cancer was making me tired or the cancer this or the cancer that. I didn't tell them that my not feeling well had nothing to do with the cancer and yet, it had everything to do with the cancer. Because if it weren't for the cancer, I wouldn't have to skip Valentine's Day.

"Well, we'll just take you home so you can rest," my mom said in her concerned mom voice.

We returned to the women's dressing room where we traded in our fluffy, white robes for our usual clothes. We drove home in silence, my moms constantly looking at me in the rearview mirror to make sure I was okay. It was like they thought I was going to drop dead at any second or something. I hated lying to them because it made them both so worried. But it wasn't really a lie – my stomach really did hurt.

When we got home, my moms told me to go right upstairs and get myself into bed. I did as told without argument, knowing that they would check on me in about an hour and probably every hour after that. I also knew that one of their visits would be accompanied by a big bowl of chicken noodle soup. My moms make the best chicken noodle soup. Their soup alone is reason enough to pretend that you're sick, but I wasn't pretending.

Entering my bedroom, I flopped down on my bed and hugged Rascal, my big, blue stuffed dog that my moms had given me the first time I was diagnosed with cancer. I knew I was too old for stuffed animals, but I didn't care. I needed something to hold onto.

I rolled over and saw my calendar of famous American women hanging on the wall. And there it was, Tuesday, February 14th. There was a little red heart under the fourteen. I hurled my pillow at the calendar, knocking it off the wall. Life was so totally unfair.

I hugged Rascal tighter and then looked at the crumpled calendar on the floor. I could see a picture of Harriet Tubman, the famous woman for February, staring up at me. Looking at a woman who had risked everything to save others made me realize just how ridiculous and stupid I was being. There was no reason to be so upset. Valentine's Day was just another day of the year. There was nothing really special about it. Besides, I realized, Josh and I could make our own Valentine's Day after I finish all of my chemo. Now that day would mean something. And I knew just how we could celebrate it. Him. Me. His car. Make-out point. The disappointment in my stomach started going away. Except, instead of vanishing completely, it was replaced by another, very strange feeling.

I took my vibrating cell phone out of my pocket, which was the strange sensation I had been feeling. Looking at it, I smiled.

Part 2 – Josh

I speed dialed her number and put the phone to my ear. I was hoping she was done with her girl's day and that I was interrupting. After all, I knew how important it was for her and her moms to spend time together. But I really wanted to talk to her although I didn't know why. Andy and I are more texting people than actual telephone people, but it didn't stop me from dialing her number. For some reason, I just wanted to hear her voice.

She picked up on the second ring.

"I was just thinking about you," she answered.

"Good or bad?"

She paused. "Let's say good, but doing bad things."

I laid down on my bed.

"I like the way you think," I said. "Care to elaborate?"

"Maybe some other time."

I had to admit that I was a little disappointed. After all, Andy was as good at scheming and planning as I was, which probably meant that whatever she was thinking would be awesome.

"I'm not interrupting girl's day, am I?" I asked.

"No, we cut it short."

"Why?"

"I wasn't feeling well."

I sat straight up. Not feeling well was not a good thing.

"Are you okay?" A million thoughts ran through my mind. Was she in pain? Was she throwing up? Did she need me?

"I'm fine."

I should have seen that coming. 'I'm fine' was her usual response to any time I asked her how she was. I swear, her leg could get chopped off and she'd still say that she was fine.

"Andy…"

"No, really, I am. I just wasn't in the mood for going out to dinner. That's all."

I knew that was the end of that. There was no pressing her for details because I knew that she wouldn't give any.

"How was your massage?" I asked.

"It was good," she answered simply.

Okay, something was definitely wrong. There was just something in her tone of voice. I expected her to, at the very least, tease me about Alex, her 'magical' massage therapist, but she didn't.

"Just good?"

"Yeah, just good."

"You know, if you paid me, I'd give you a back massage," I offered, trying to cheer her up. "Of course, I can't promise that my hands will stay on your back."

Her laughter made me smile. I loved the sound of her laugh, especially when I knew that I was the one who caused it. But her laughter soon faded. There was no smart Alec remark following my comment as I expected there to be. Something was definitely up.

"So, we on for game night after school tomorrow?" I questioned.

"I wouldn't miss kicking your butt for anything."

Now that was the Andy I knew.

"I'll see you tomorrow then," I said.

"Bye."

"Yeah, bye."

I flipped my phone shut and stared at it. Something was definitely going on with Andy, but I couldn't quite figure out what it was. There was only one thing I could think to do. I walked out of my room and down the hall. Lori's bedroom door was already halfway open so I pushed it the rest of the way.

"What?" She asked.

She was sitting cross legged on her bed with a bunch of papers scattered all around her. What looked like her western civilizations history book was open on her lap. I had obviously interrupted her homework, but I didn't care.

"Have you come up with anything yet?" I asked.

"Anything for what?"

She didn't even bother to look at me. A sure sign that she was pissed that I was in her room.

"You know, my Valentine's problem."

This time, she did look up.

"I told you I'd come up with something in a few days, not a few hours."

"But there's only a few days left."

I knew it sounded like I was whining, but I was desperate. There was just something off about Andy's voice. I wanted to make her happy and I knew that planning the perfect day would do just that.

"Look, I promise I'll have something for you by Monday," Lori insisted, turning her attention back to her history book.

I crossed my arms over my chest and began to tap my foot impatiently on the floor. She ignored me.

"Don't you think Monday's a little late?" I finally asked.

"What?"

"Monday is Valentine's Day."

"Josh, Tuesday is Valentine's Day," Lori stated.

"No, it's on Monday."

She sighed angrily and pulled her agenda out from underneath her book. She held it out to me. I walked over to her bed and took it in my hand. Sure enough, there was Tuesday, February 14th.

"Told you so," she said in that sisterly way that's incredibly annoying.

"But it can't be on Tuesday," I whispered, sitting down on the edge of her bed. After all the planning I had done, or not done, but planned on doing, Valentine's Day was on a Tuesday.

"Do you have something personally against Tuesdays?" She asked.

Feeling terrible, I dropped the agenda back down on her bed. Valentine's Day had never meant anything to me, but it didn't stop me from being upset. I wanted to do this for her. After all the hardships Andy had been through, I wanted to do something special and now I couldn't even give her a nice Valentine's Day.

"Yeah," I muttered. "They're hell."

Lori looked up at me with a panicked look on her face.

"Oh, Josh, I'm sorry. I forgot. Andy has…"

"Chemo on Tuesdays," I filled in.

"Maybe that's why she said that Valentine's Day didn't matter to her. Maybe she knew that she wouldn't be up to celebrating it."

I took a deep breath. "Yeah. Well, at least you don't have to come up with a plan anymore." With my arms crossed over my chest, I walked out of the room.

Author's Note: As I said before, I really wanted to get this story posted by Valentine's Day, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen. I just found out that I have to have a root canal done tomorrow morning and oral surgery done the following day. So, I don't know if I'm going to be much in the mood for writing. But, I promise that I'll do what I can. Enjoy and please review!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Part 1 – Josh

I waited outside of the boy's bathroom. I had made sure to set my alarm an hour early just so that I knew that I would have time to run my errand and get to school on time to be able to spend some quality time with Andy before school started. I had been thinking about how she sounded on the phone all night and, when I woke up in the morning, I was determined that even if I couldn't plan the perfect Valentine's Day, there were plenty of other special things I could do.

The hallways of school were mostly deserted. The occasional student walked by, but it was still early. If it were a normal day, I wouldn't even be out of bed yet. I was thankful for the quiet and solidarity. I just hoped that Andy would have the same idea of getting to school early, too.

"Hey," I said when I saw her turn the corner into the hallway. The first thing I noticed was that she seemed to be okay. The second was that she had stuck with the brown wig from the day before. I had to admit that the color was growing on me.

"Well, someone got up early today," she commented, walking towards me.

"Thought I'd surprise you," I answered. As soon as she was close enough, I reached out for her hand. "And I have one more surprise."

I took the flower out from behind my back and handed it to her. It was a white orchid in a dark blue vase. The look of shock on her face said it all. She was happily surprised. And the best part was, I had thought of the idea all by myself. I was thinking of going for roses, but that just reminded me too much of Valentine's Day and I definitely didn't want to remind me, or her, about that. I searched the entire flower shop for something that wasn't too pungent, because strong smells did have a tendency to make her sick, but that was still beautiful. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to have it. It reminded me of her - exquisite.

"Josh, it's…perfect."

"Just like you." I leaned in and kissed her cheek.

"What's the occasion?"

"No occasion. I saw it and it made me think of you."

"Right. You just happened to be walking through a flower shop recently?"

"So maybe I put a little more thought into it than that."

"Well, thank you. I love it."

She looked at it like I had given her a diamond necklace. Seeing her so happy made me smile. I knew that things were definitely better than they had been when we had spoken the night before. I watched her place the orchid gently on the ground.

"What are you…" I began to ask, but she cut me off.

She put her hands on either side of my face and kissed me. I was completely lost in the kiss. I loved the feeling of her soft lips against my own and the feeling of her body pressed against mine. I felt her tongue begging entry into my mouth. There was no way I was going to deny it.

"Mr. Trager." We both pulled apart. I was glad to see that it wasn't the principal who caught us. It was Mr. Costello, the science teacher I had last year. He smiled at us both as he crossed his arms over his chest. "So is this what it takes to get you to school on time?"

"It's just what I've always been trying to tell you, Mr. C, if you start giving kids real motivation to get to school on time, they'll start coming." Mr. C had always been one of my favorite teachers in the school. He was an adult who actually seemed to not only care about their students, but understand them as well. Not to mention that he loved my jokes. "And pretty girls are definitely good motivators."

I slipped my arm around Andy's shoulder and she rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, well, don't let the principal catch you two," he said before walking away.

I kissed her again, trying to pick up right where we left off.

"Are you trying to get us into trouble?" She asked.

"That depends." I took a step towards her, backing her into a row of lockers. Placing one hand on either side of her head, I trapped her. "What kind of trouble do you want to get into?"

She giggled and I kissed her again.

"Get a room," I heard someone say as they walked by. When we surfaced from our kiss, we both noticed that the hallways were becoming increasingly more crowded.

"I know a place that's a little more…private," I suggested, pointing to the boy's bathroom.

"As appealing as that sounds, I've got some homework I didn't get to finish last night that I've got to do before class."

"You? Ms. A plus student didn't finish her homework?"

"Yeah, well, Alex kept me a little busy last night."

I knew she was teasing, but it didn't stop the jealousy from running through my veins. All I could imagine was some tanned, muscular, shirtless man with his hands all over Andy's body. And the only people's hands I wanted to see on her body were mine.

"You're cruel, you know that."

She smiled one of her flirtatious smiles and stooped down to pick up the orchid.

"I'll see you tonight." She gave me one last peck on the cheek before walking away.

Part 2 – Andy

An orchid? What did an orchid mean? Sure, it was exotic and beautiful and a complete surprise, but it wasn't like him.

I opened my locker and put the orchid gently inside. It really was perfect.

"Hey Andy."

I closed the door. For some reason I wanted to keep the orchid all to myself. Like it was mine and Josh's little secret. When I turned around, I saw Amanda standing next to me.

"Hey," I replied.

I couldn't help but smile around Amanda. Like always she had this big grin stretching from ear to ear. I always wanted to know how one girl could possibly be so perky, but I guess that was just part of what made her who she was. That would be why she and Kyle made such a perfect couple.

"Has Josh told you yet?" Amanda asked.

"Told me what?" I asked somewhat suspicious. Could this have to do with the orchid?

"About the plans for Valentine's Day?"

Those two words made my smile disappear.

"No, he didn't mention anything."

Was Josh planning something for Valentine's Day? Did he believe me when I said that it was just another day? Did he realize that it was the same day as chemo?

"Maybe Kyle didn't say anything to him yet."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I was just reading about this restaurant downtown that's got a live band playing and I was thinking that if me and Kyle and you and Josh and Lori and…whoever she's dating at the moment want to, we can all go together."

What was I supposed to say to that?

"Amanda, I…"

"I mean, I know Valentine's Day is supposed to be romantic and everything, but my mom's still not too keen on me seeing Kyle so I thought maybe if a whole group of us went, she wouldn't be able to say no and…

"Look, Amanda, it sounds great, but…I…I can't."

"Oh." This time the smile disappeared off her face. "Well, that's okay." She looked like I had just told her her puppy died.

"Maybe we can do something some other time," I suggested, trying to make her feel better. She nodded. Not only had I killed her puppy, but I squashed him with a steam roller. "Look, Amanda, Kyle will figure out some way for you two to be together. He always does. It's all work out. You'll see."

I awkwardly put my hand on her shoulder, trying to make her feel better. I wasn't exactly the best person at little pep talks, but it would have to do.

"You're right." She smiled again. "Do you and Josh have special plans?"

How could I answer that question? Fortunately, I didn't have to. The bell rang, giving me an excuse to walk away.

"I'll see you around," I mumbled. Suddenly, my happy, orchid-filled morning became another dreary day.

Part 3 – Josh

"Are you still reading that?"

Lori walked around the back of the couch and sat down beside me. I stuck the pencil I had been writing with inside the book to mark my page.

"It's for extra credit," I explained, closing the notebook I was writing in.

"And just how long has it taken you to read Romeo and Juliet?"

"Well, it would go a lot faster if I spoke Shakesperian. I swear this guy makes up his own language."

Lori laughed. "I don't know what's more funny. You doing extra credit or you trying to read Shakespeare."

"Funny or not, I've got to read it and have this paper written by next Tuesday if I want the grade boost."

"Since when did you start caring about your grades?"

Lori was right. I never cared about my grades. I did the bare minimum to pass and that was about it. I hardly ever did my homework and extra credit was definitely out of the question. But that all changed.

"Let's just say that I actually want to make something of myself."

I expected her to come back with some kind of snotty remark, but she didn't. She just patted me on the shoulder.

"Well, if you need any help deciphering Shakesperian, let me know."

She stood up and walked away. Wondering if we had just shared one of our rare brother/sister moments, I turned my attention back to the book. I really wanted to get through at least one more page before…

The doorbell rang. I knew I had to ditch the book immediately. I did not want Andy catching me reading it. There was nothing manly about reading Romeo and Juliet.

I quickly slid the book between the couch cushions. Heading for the door, I threw my notebook on the coffee table.

Part 4 – Andy

"Hey," I said as the door opened. I was so glad to see him. Somehow seeing him made the whole day better.

"Hey yourself," he replied.

I walked inside and into his living room.

"So, are you ready for me to kick your ass?" I asked.

I was trying to sound like myself, but I didn't feel like myself. I was tired of all of this Valentine's Day bull. I was tired of my medicine that made me feel all happy one minute and weepy the next. I had been thinking about Valentine's Day all day and it was just getting annoying. I was tired of tiptoeing around the subject of Valentine's Day around Josh. I had to know what was going on inside of his head and I had to let out what was going on inside of mine or I was going to go insane.

"This time I'm giving you a run for your money," he said, sitting down on the couch.

"You wish."

I plopped down next to him and grabbed one of the game controllers. Josh turned on the TV and we waited for the game to load.

I took a deep breath.

"Josh, there's something we need to talk about," I said in one, long breath.

He turned to look at me. He looked scared. "Is it the flower? Because if you'd rather have roses, I…"

"It has nothing to do with the flower," I insisted. He might have looked cute when he was jealous, but the face he made when he was nervous was even more priceless. "We need to talk about Valentine's Day."

"Oh." He looked like he didn't know what to say or do. The truth was, I didn't know what to say or do either. "I thought you said…"

"That Valentine's Day was just another day, I know. And maybe I meant it and maybe I didn't, I'm still not really sure, but the bottom line is that I've been…thinking about it for the past few days and…"

"Me too."

I was surprised.

"You have?"

He reached over and held my hand.

"I wanted to do something special for you. Especially since this is our first Valentine's together and everything. But then you said that you didn't care about Valentine's Day so I thought maybe we shouldn't do something special, but then Lori said that all girls care about Valentine's Day and I was just so confused and then I found out that…"

"It was on a Tuesday?"

He nodded. I felt immediate relief. It was out in the open. Everything I was afraid of and angry about was out in the moment. It felt so good.

"And I didn't know what to do," he admitted.

This time it was my turn to admit something. "I didn't much care about Valentine's Day until I heard everyone else talking about. But then I found out it was on a Tuesday and I just got so…mad." I paused to think. "I got mad for no reason."

I laughed. I just couldn't help myself.

"What's so funny?"

"All this worrying about whether you were going to do something special or even want to do something special has just been so…pointless. It just proves that Valentine's Day is really just a commercial holiday. We all get so caught up in the logistics of it, we forget what's really important."

"Being together," he said, kissing me softly.

"Yeah, being together. That's all I wanted."

"Me, too."

"You know, Amanda invited you and I to some dinner thing."

"She did?"

"She doesn't think her mom will let her go out with Kyle alone."

"Bummer."

"It sounded like fun, though. If only it weren't on a Tuesday."

"Well, Valentine's Day doesn't have to be this Tuesday, you know," Josh said.

"What do you mean?"

"Who says we have to celebrate on Tuesday? Let this Tuesday come and go, it is just another day after all. We've got our whole lives to celebrate any time we want." I smiled. "Now come on, let's play."

Josh picked up his controller again and he started the game. It was nice that there was no more pressure or fear or guilt. Well, there was still a little guilt. Amanda might not be able to have her perfect Valentine's Day because of me.

"Josh?"

"Yeah?"

"You could go with them, if you want. On Tuesday I mean. You don't have to stay with me at chemo. That way Amanda and Kyle can still go out and you won't have sit there and watch me get drugged up."

He dropped his controller without even pausing the game.

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be on Valentine's Day than watching you get drugged up," he said with a straight face. I burst into laughter as his lips captured mine. I began to lean backwards as our lips fed hungrily on each other. As my head sank back against the pillow, I felt something digging into my lower back.

"Ow!" I shrieked, putting my hand against Josh's chest to stop him. He shifted off of me and I pulled the object that was sticking into my back out from between the couch cushions.

"Romeo and Juliet?" I asked laughing.

Josh took the book out of my hands and threw it onto the floor. Without a word, we picked up where we had left off…kissing.

Author's Note: It looks like one more chapter to go! This chapter was difficult for me for some reason. I basically needed a "filler" chapter to get the story to where I wanted to be and I guess this was it. Thank you for reading and thank you to everyone who sent out such kind thoughts to me after my surgery. I am feeling better (although I get very tired very easily) so be on the lookout for the final chapter soon!


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Part 1 – Josh

I watched her eyes light up as her player officially wiped me out with a machine gun. Most girls liked diamonds, but Andy enjoyed killing me every chance she got.

"You really enjoy doing that, don't you?" I asked watching her do her little victory dance on the couch.

"It's one of my favorite things to do," she replied smirking.

"Oh? And just what would be another one of your favorite things to do?"

She dropped her controller and had me pinned down on the couch in a split second. I was sure she was going to kiss me when she leaned over, but her lips didn't head for mine. Instead, I could feel her warm breath on my ear.

"Get massages from Alex," she whispered.

As the tantalizing smile grew on her face, I rolled over and we both toppled off the couch and onto the ground. I muffled her laugh with a kiss. She really knew how to tease me and I loved it. Now it was my turn to tease her. But it wasn't exactly words that I had in mind.

I began planting a line of kisses down her neck to her collarbone where the collar of her shirt fell. I went to push the fabric aside when I heard the distinct sound of footsteps coming closer. I had forgotten that we were in the middle of the living room making out.

"Ahem," my mom said as she walked into the room.

For the second time that day, Andy I got caught making out. We definitely needed to start finding more discreet places.

"Sorry," I mumbled, pushing myself off of Andy. I sat back down on the couch and gave her a hand, pulling her up next to me.

"Dinner will be ready in a few minutes," my mom stated before walking away.

I had to give my mom credit. She reacted pretty well to seeing her teenage son practically mauling his girlfriend on the floor in front of the television.

"I should go," Andy said, straightening out her shirt.

"Or you could stay for dinner and kick my ass again," I suggested.

"Can't. My moms want to go out to make up for the other night when I bailed on them."

"This doesn't mean you're going to see Alex first, does it?"

"No, but it could be arranged." She laughed. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah. See you tomorrow."

She gave me another kiss and stood. She began to walk away, but then she stopped.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

She bent over and picked up the copy of Romeo and Juliet that I had thrown on the floor. I was really afraid that she was going to start asking questions about why I had a copy of Romeo and Juliet shoved in between my couch cushions and I really didn't want to answer.

"It's my favorite play," she said simply as she handed it to me.

I didn't really know what to say. I hadn't exactly pegged Andy as the play reading type. And why wasn't she making fun of me for reading it?

"You've actually read it?" I asked.

"I played Juliet in the ninth grade."

My jaw practically dropped.

"You? Juliet?"

"Are you surprised?"

I shrugged. "No, I just never saw you as the star crossed lover type."

She rolled her eyes in the playful way that I loved. "I'll see you tomorrow."

I nodded as she walked out of the room and through the front door. I stared at the cover of the book. It was a picture of Juliet standing on her balcony with Romeo down on one knee below her. It looked as if she were trapped and knew that there was no way that she and the love of her life would ever be together.

It gave me the perfect idea.

Part 2 – Andy

I couldn't believe that Valentine's Day had arrived. I was glad that Josh and I had talked openly about it and I was even okay with the fact that we decided not to do anything special, but that didn't really make the actual day any easier. From the moment I walked into school, it seemed like everyone was in the Valentine's spirit. Girls were walking around with bouquets of flowers, balloons, and stuffed animals while boys were busy comparing what they bought their girlfriends. I was sick of the whole thing. I just wanted school to be over. But, at the same time I didn't want school to be over because that meant one thing – chemo.

The bell rang. I knew I didn't have much time. My moms would be picking me up to go to the hospital in ten minutes. I ran to my locker, searching for Josh. I hadn't seen him all day. I was disappointed that he hadn't met me outside of the boy's bathroom in the morning. That's what had begun my terrible day.

I glanced at the time on my cell phone. There was no way I had time to look for him and make it to chemo on time. Valentine's Day was turning out to be the worst day of my life.

I walked out the front doors of the school and saw my moms' car waiting for me. I looked around one last time for Josh. Usually on Tuesdays he drove with my moms and I to the hospital. Only once did he have detention and he had to meet me at the hospital afterward, but at least he had made it.

He was no where to be seen.

"Is Josh coming?" One of my moms asked as I got in the car.

"He's meeting me there," I lied. I didn't want them to know that I had no idea where he was. I didn't want them to worry about me. But the truth was that I had never felt so disappointed. Not only was I about to face hours of feeling like total crap, but it looked like I was going to have to face it alone.

My mom started off in the direction of the hospital. I looked out the window as a tear rolled down my cheek. Valentine's Day really sucked.

When we got to the hospital, my moms brought me up to the oncology wing. They offered to stay with me like they always did, but the only person I wanted was Josh. I told them that he was just running a little late and that he would be there son. I did my best to convince them that I would be fine. I didn't want them to stay with me. If I couldn't have Josh, I just wanted to be alone.

My moms waited until I was set up in the hospital bed with the many tubes connected to my arm. I laid back and closed my eyes, just wishing for the day to be over. Maybe Josh really was going with Amanda, Kyle, and Lori to dinner. After all, I had told him that I didn't mind if he went. But the truth was that I did mind. Whether it was Valentine's Day or not, I needed him.

"Hey Andy," one of the usual nurses said as she walked into my room. I opened my eyes and watched her check my vitals. I could already begin to feel the chemo taking effect. It was making my head spin, my stomach hurt, and my whole body feel weak.

"Hi," I replied with little energy. I didn't much feel like talking.

"Where's that boyfriend of yours?"

She jotted down some notes on my chart. I knew she was just trying to make conversation, but I really hated her at that moment for asking me that.

"I don't know," I answered truthfully.

"I can't believe that young man isn't here. Especially on Valentine's Day." I closed my eyes, hoping she would go away. "I'll have to give that boy a talking to next time I see him. Some boys just don't know a good thing when…"

"Look, could you just not talk about him, please?" I asked, practically shouting. The nurse nodded and walked away. I felt bad snapping at her, but I couldn't help it. Josh had hurt me. It didn't matter that it was Valentine's Day and we weren't together. It mattered that he had once made a promise to me that he would be with me through everything and he wasn't there.

I closed my eyes and let my tears fall freely down my face. I wasn't sure what was worse – the pain from the chemo or the pain of being alone.

I went to reach for a tissue when I heard a tapping sound at my window. Due to the fact that I was on the second floor and thought I was just hearing thing, I ignored it the first time, but then the sound came again. Opening my eyes, I looked at the small, square piece of glass and swore that I saw something hit it.

Confused, I slowly swung my legs over the edge of the bed. I held onto the pole all of my medication was hooked up to and stood up. I was wobbly, but still able to hold my weight. I walked slowly over to the window and looked outside.

There was Josh, kneeling down on one knee in the middle of the parking lot in a black suit and tie holding a single, red rose. Completely shocked, I opened the window.

"But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and Andy is the sun!"

Part 3 – Josh and Andy

She leaned on the window's ledge, trying to support herself. She had gone from feeling totally alone to feeling like the most loved girl in the world in a matter of seconds.

"Josh, what are you…?" She called out.

"She speaks. O, speak again, bright angel, for thou art as glorious to this night, being o'er my head, as is a winged messenger of heaven unto the white-upturned wond'ring eyes of mortals that fall back to gaze on him when he bestrides the lazy puffing clouds and sails upon the bosom of the air."

She smiled as tears sprang to her eyes. "Did you really just say bosom?"

This time he cracked a smile. "That's not exactly your line, you know."

"Oh no? Then what exactly is my line?"

"Something about Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?"

"Did you memorize the whole play?"

"Enough of it. Now come on, play along."

"Josh, I don't…"

"You said it was your favorite play. And I'm dying to see just how hot of a Juliet you were."

She opened her mouth to protest, but closed it again. How could she argue with a guy who was standing in a suit that probably cost more than he made in a day spewing Shakespeare at her?

"O Josh, Josh! Wherefore art thou Josh? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, And I'll no longer be a Jensen."

"Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?" He said, trying his hardest to remember all of the words he had spent the last few days memorizing.

Neither of them noticed the people who had begun to look out their own windows at the display going on before them.

"'Tis but thy name that is my enemy. Thou art thyself, though not a Trager. What's Trager? It is nor hand, nor foot, nr arm, nor face. O, be some other name belonging to a man.  
What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet. So Josh would, were he not Josh called, retain that dear perfection which he owes without that title. Josh, doff thy name; And for thy name, which is no part of thee, take all myself."

The audience that had grown began to clap.

"Wow, you're pretty good," Josh complimented. "And it looks like everyone else agrees."

She smiled and blushed at the same time. "Josh, what are you doing?"

"Showing you how much I love you." She gasped and felt her legs growing weaker. She suddenly forgot about the people who were watching her and the fact that she had drugs being pumped into her arms at that very moment.

"Josh, I…"

"With love's light wings did I o'erperch these walls; For stony limits cannot hold love out, and what love can do, that dares love attempt."

She tried to comprehend what he was saying, but all she could hear in her mind were those three little words.

"What?"

"Stay put, I'll be right up," he yelled.

Before she could say another word, he was walking away. She lowered herself into a nearby chair, afraid that if she tried to get back into bed, she wouldn't make it. Within a minute, he appeared in her doorway, looking even more perfect than he looked from far away. She had never seen him looking so damn hot.

"Happy Valentine's Day," he said, handing her the rose. She took it was a shaky hand.

"It's…"

"Fake, I know," he interrupted. "I just thought it would be better than the real thing."

"It's beautiful," she said.

He approached the chair she was sitting in slowly and knelt down in front of her.

"I'm sorry I didn't get to see you today. I've been rehearsing those lines all day. I wanted everything to be perfect."

"You thought of this all by yourself?"

He nodded. "I know we said that we weren't going to do anything special for Valentine's Day, but I wanted to surprise you. And when you said it was your favorite play, I thought what better way to celebrate the most romantic day of the year with the most romantic play ever written."

A tear slipped down her cheek. Josh wiped it away with the light touch of his thumb.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"For what?"

"For doing this for me. For reminding me that I'm not alone."

"You're never alone." He caressed her cheek with his hand. "I'm sorry that we couldn't celebrate Valentine's Day the way you wanted."

"Trust me," she said. "This is way better than anything I could ever have wanted."

"I also wanted to tell you…" he dug into his pocket and took out a black, velvet box. "How much I love you." He opened the box revealing a small, silver ring.

She looked at him with tears brimming in her eyes. "Oh, Josh. I…"

"It's a promise ring. A promise that I'll always be there for you."

He slipped it easily onto her finger. "I love it. And I love you, too."

He kissed her lightly on the lips, knowing that there would be plenty of time for sharing their love for each other when she was feeling better.

"Come on, let's get you into bed."

He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off the chair. Dragging the pole with one arm, she looped her other arm tightly around his neck and leaned her head against his chest. He placed her gently down on the bed and covered her with the blankets.

He dragged the chair she had been sitting in over to her bed and he sat down. She laid on her side so she was facing him and she wrapped her fingers around his.

"Oh, and there's one more thing," he said, reaching into his pocket.

"What is it?" She asked, beginning to feel her eyes drooping closed.

"Just a little something for my Juliet."

He opened the book and began at the beginning.

"Two households, both alike in dignity…"

Author's Note: Well, that's it. Even though I didn't make my Valentine's Day deadline, I hope you liked it! Thank you to all of my loyal readers and reviewers. I already have another idea for a story so check back soon!


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